Bishop’s Scholarship Fund Opens February 1st
February 1, 2025 | Foundations in Education | General
Foundations in Education Inc is pleased to announce applications to the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund open February 1, 2025.
The mission of the Bishop’s Scholarship Fund (BSF) is to help families afford a Catholic education at Diocesan elementary schools in Fairfield County. Families with students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 for the 2025-2026 school year are eligible to apply.
In the past year, BSF awarded tuition assistance to 1,319 students, totaling over $2.85 million. The Fund is dedicated to supporting families who demonstrate a financial need, making Catholic education accessible to more students across the region.
A composite of 2024-2025 Bishop’s Scholarship Fund recipients includes:
- 54% raised by single parents
- 55% qualified for free or reduced lunch
- $64,605 was the average household gross income
To apply, families must complete the FACTS Grant & Aid application online at www.FACTSmgt.com/aid, upload necessary supporting tax documents, answer all relevant questions, and pay a non-refundable $35 application/administrative fee to FACTS. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2025 for families with a child currently enrolled at any of the Diocesan elementary schools and April 15, 2025 for families new to our schools.
Scholarships are awarded based on financial need and a Scholarship Committee reviews applications to determine eligibility. Awardees are notified directly through the FACTS system in May and scholarship funds are disbursed directly to the schools on behalf of the recipient families.
“Now in our tenth year, Foundations in Education has made over 13,000 awards totaling $26 million in tuition assistance to families across the Diocese,” commented Holly Doherty-Lemoine, Executive Director of Foundations in Education. “We are grateful to the generous donors and friends who contribute the resources that ensure that financial need does not become an obstacle to accessing a quality education rooted in faith. We all agree our children are worth it, and that the transformational effect of a Catholic education will serve them their whole life.”
“The Bishop’s Scholarship Fund has given our children the opportunity of a lifetime,” shared Elisa Porzio, parent of a BSF recipient. “As a family who deeply values education and faith alike, sending our children to Catholic school has been a decision we have always taken great pride in choosing. We recognize our great privilege in having been able to receive this tremendous support.”
The Bishop’s Scholarship Fund is made possible by generous donors across Fairfield County and is the premiere program at Foundations in Education, a non-profit organization founded by Most Reverend Frank Caggiano in 2015 and committed to strengthen and transform the mission of Catholic education in the Diocese of Bridgeport. The Foundation provides tuition assistance to families in need, supports innovation in academic programs, and fosters opportunities for the professional development of school leaders. To learn how you can support Catholic education or for more information, visit www.foundationsineducation.org.